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Was Samson a Promiscuous Man (Judges 13-16)? Viewing Samson As a Human Figure in a Theoretical Approach

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Was Samson a Promiscuous Man (Judges 13-16)? Viewing Samson As a Human Figure in a Theoretical Approach KIU Journal of Social Sciences KIU Journal of Social Sciences Copyright©2019 Kampala International University ISSN: 2413-9580; 5(1): 251–264 Was Samson a Promiscuous Man (Judges 13-16)? Viewing Samson as a Human Figure in a Theoretical Approach JOHN ARIERHI OTTUH Obong University, Obong Ntak, Nigeria Abstract. This paper discusses the character of purely literary point of view thereby treating Samson as an historical figure within Judges 13- Samson as a literary figure. One of the problems 16 narratives in the Old Testament Bible. The that might be encountered in seeing Samson as a main aim of this paper is to find out through literary figure is the tendency of considering the theoretical inference whether there were genre as a fiction and as such posing the circumstances surrounding Samson‟s sexual possibility of explaining away the human behaviour. Drawing from causal theory, the problems encountered by him. Another possible paper argues that there is a possible nexus problem in seeing Samson as a literary figure is between Samson‟s failed marriage and his the likely presentation of Samson as a Super subsequent relationship with other women. It Human who is above human emotions shows that Samson‟s problem was not (feelings), mistakes or errors. Therefore, this metaphysical but human induced and as such it paper intends to view Samson as a human figure is causal. It constructs, Samson as human figure in the historical narrative in Judges 13-16. This in the narrative and analyses the text from the is why this paper argues that there is a possible perspective of causal theory and concludes that nexus between Samson‟s failed marriage and his Samson‟s failed marriage could be responsible subsequent relationship with other women. The for his subsequent relationship with a Harlot in narrative of Samson‟s failed marriage is an issue Gaza and Delilah. In the Narrative, apart from that cannot be ignored. From the narrative, the harlot in Gaza, the ex-wife and Delilah Samson‟s father in-law did not allow Samson to betrayed his love. Within this line of theoretical have sex with his wife because he had given her thought, Samson was seen as a victim of in marriage to another man. This is a veritable emotional catharsis, human intrigue, prove that Samson was sexually deprived. Apart insensitivity, naivety and the woman power from being sexually deprived, his wife was factor. married by one of his acolytes. This is another prove that shows the possibility of Samson Key Words: Samson, Causal theory, being heart-broken, betrayed and depressed. Promiscuity, Judges 13-16, Human figure, These possibilities are also shown by Samson‟s anger and action of vengeance afterwards. 1. Introduction Samson‟s situation is still prevalent in modern human society. Samson‟s case is therefore Scholars in the discipline of biblical studies have relevant to present day human sociological often approached the study of Samson from a problem. It is obvious to us that Samson‟s 251 KIU Journal of Social Sciences behaviour was causal on the ground that he was The above scholars approached the Samson‟s pushed by circumstances because prior to his narrative from the view point of considering failed marriage, we never heard of his Samson as an ethical and a literary figure in relationship with women. It was after this Judges 13-16 in Old Testament literature. This incident of his failed marriage that the story of may have informed the popular reading of falling in love with the harlot at Gaza and Judges 13-16 in the context of Samson‟s Delilah surfaced. Therefore, this paper submits promiscuity. But how true is this depiction? If that there is a nexus between Samson‟s failed the narrative about Samson in Judges 13-16 is marriage and his subsequent love affairs with viewed from the perspective of a human figure other women. who experienced social and psychological problems of life within time and space, the For those viewing Samson‟s situation from an likelihood of appreciating the sociological and immoral point and those viewing him as a psychological situation of Samson will be literary figure, it should be understood that visible. Viewing Samson this way will help the Samson‟s character in Judges‟ narratives is reader to situate Samson in a real flesh and multifaceted (Exum 2014:13). The facet chosen blood life situation in Biblical history. Those by a scholar depends on what line of argument who see Samson as being promiscuous for such scholar intends to prove. For Exum, visiting a harlot at Gaza and having a Samson was a fool whenever he loves (Exum relationship with Delilah have ignored or 2014:14). It was his attempt to prove his love to refused to see Samson‟s failed marriage as a his Timnite wife and Delilah that led him to possible problem that may have precipitated his reveal his secretes. This made Exum to see him action. The sequence of Samson‟s action has as a foolish hero. Samson‟s obsession with shown that he was a reactionary person whose women was dominantly described in the emotion can be aggravated by a corresponding narrative (Assis 2014:1). Some scholars have action. also portrayed the character of Samson from a negative point of view. He is being seeing as a Apart from preachers, some scholars have man who goes from one woman to the other due followed the moral and literary line of thought to sexual lust. Von Rad did not spare Samson too. Mark Greene for example, has described when he claims that he was a waster of God‟s Samson as a kind of biblical Superman who had power because he failed to live up to the just one weakness (Greene 1991:54). It was not expectation of a Nazarite-a man of God (von clear what Greene meant by „one weakness‟ Rad 1962:333-334). Klein (1988:117-118) also until his parallel analysis between Samson and thinks in the direction of von Rad when she the former „Washington‟s mayor Marion Barry viewed Samson as a Judge who fails despite the who was lured by a beautiful ex-model into a deposit of God‟s Spirit in him. Klein‟s hotel room lavishly appointed with FBI (1988:132) analysis compares Samson with surveillance equipment and, on his third visit, other Judges who precedes him and draws a arrested for cocaine use!‟ (Greene 1991). But it conclusion that despite the weakness of all of soon dawn on Greene that „the timelessness of them Samson had an edge over the rest due to some of the Samson story‟s themes and its broad the Supernatural power bestowed on him which appeal have however, not led to any consensus the others did not have. This deepens the or even majority view about its meaning‟ disappointment on Samson‟s failure. It has been thereby resulting to his submission of ambiguity agreed by some scholars that the book of Judges (Greene 1991). The silence and unexplained emerged from „extremely varied traditions‟ and suspense in the narrative show some form of as such, reminds the reader of the religious ambiguity but in my thinking, this gives the disunity in the Hebrew Bible‟ (Bal 1988: 282). If room for theoretical analysis because of the this is correct, it therefore means that a research innuendo associated with the narrative. For on this theme is not going to be an easy task. example, we were told that Samson visited a harlot in Gaza but what he did with her was not recorded. Exum (1983:36) has posed a divergent 252 KIU Journal of Social Sciences argument in her work, „the theological temporal in terms of days, weeks, months and Dimension of the Samson saga.‟ Unlike Greene, years. It appears the word promiscuity or Exum argues that Judges 13-16 gives a much promiscuous may not properly describe more positive portrayal of Samson than is found Samson‟s relationship with women. in many sermons that treat the saga from a negative perspective (Exum 1983). Here Samson Research has shown that there is a relationship will be viewed as a human figure who or connections between promiscuity/prostitution experienced a real flesh and blood human and bad upbringing of a child especially child- situation in terms of marriage and his abuse (victimization) due to poverty. Here relationship with women. promiscuity and prostitution seems to have a tin line demarcating them (Widom and Kuhns, 2. Conceptual Argument 1996). However, prostitution can be seen as a full blown promiscuity. The Botswana What does it mean to be promiscuous? The experience as presented by Helle-Valle (2010) Encarta (2009) refers to promiscuity as has shown that in Botswana there is a large, and indiscriminate sexual behaviour, that is, increasing, number of women who do not marry behaviour characterized by casual and but have one or several lovers simultaneously indiscriminate sexual intercourse, often with and have gifts from these men as an important many people. One aspect the Encarta did not part of their income. All of these scholars have explain is the time frame or frequency of given the idea of what promiscuity or being indiscriminate sexual activities because in Africa promiscuous means. In the context of our study, where polygyny is accepted as norm and legally promiscuity can mean indiscriminate sex with accepted in society, one cannot say such person multiple partners at a time or within a period of is promiscuous. And in climes where serial time. When Samson is placed in this context, he marriage is accepted, one cannot say such does not fit into this definition or description persons are promiscuous.
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